Improvement in fire-escape ladders



2 Sheen-Sheet 1.

J. J. LUCAS. Fire-Escape Ladder.

No. 204,059. Patented May 21, 1878.

ATTEST'. INVENTOR:

N, PETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGMPMER. WASHINGTON U C, v

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. J. LUCAS.

Fire-Escape Ladder.

Patented May 21,1878.

N-PETERS. PNOTO-LITNOGRAPNLR, WASHINGTON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. LUCAS, OF BELLEVTILLE, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ESCAPE. LADDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,059, dated May 21, 1878; application filed March 14, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN J. LUCAS, of Belleville, Illinois, have invented a new and useful- Improvement in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip-.

tion, reference being had to the annexed drawin g,rnaking part of this specification, in whichv Figure l is a side elevation of the invention,

the foot of the ladder being moved back onto the turn-table and the ladder being in position a cross-section of the wagon-bed and showing.

the sidebraces; and Fig. 5, a detail, being a view in perspective, showing one-of the plat-- pivoted tothe front axle in the usual manner, .and its hind end is pivoted atv a to the hind forms at the side of the wagon-bed.

Similar letters of reference represent simi-' lar parts. The present invention relates to that class 'of fire-escapes that are attached to a wagon, by means of which they are transported from place to place, and that are elevated from the wagon, as a base, into position for use.

The construction, considered generally, is

as follows: An extensible ladder is attached. to the wagon-bed, the lower end of the ladder being pivoted to a slide that is arranged to move upon ways that extend longitudinallyi upon the wagon-bed. When the ladder is not: in use its various sections are closed upon each? other, and the ladder lies longitudinally upon;

the wagon, the slide to which the ladder is at-';

tached being moved to one end of the ways;

When used the closed ladder is first movedi upon the Ways so as to bring its foot to the' center or thereabout of the wagon, and so as to give the ladder the proper inclination when the mechanism for moving the ladder upon the ways and for elevating and lowering the ladder.

Referring to the drawing, A represents the wagon to which the ladder is attached. In place of the ordinary single coupling-pole, the

front and hind gears of the wagon are connected by two coupling-poles, a a, that extend from the ends of one axle a, respectively, "to the opposite ends of the other axle ed, as shown more distinctly in Fig. 3. All of the connections of the poles with the axlesare pivotal, and the poles at their forward ends, instead of being attached directly to the forward axle, are preferably pivoted to a plate, ed, that is arranged above the bolster a, and that turns with the forward axle.

v A represents the wagon-bed. Its forward end is attached to the bolster a which is axle. Thus made, both the front and hind gears of the wagon are connected with the wagon-bedby pivoted connections, and when the forward axle is turned to the right or left the hind axle is turned in the opposite direction, causing the hind wheels, as the wagon is turned around, to follow in the track of the forward Wheels. Y

B represents an extensible ladder, having,

say, four sections, b b b b ,'that slide upon each other in the order namdfandthat can be closed upon each: other, as in Figs. land 2, orbe opened out. The lower section b at its lower end is pivoted to a slide, 0, that is arranged to slide upon ways 0 c-,'that extend longitudinally upon the wagon-bed. By this means the foot of the ladder can be moved to and fro upon the wagon from the end to the center thereof, and be brought from a position where it lies upon the wagon-bed, as in Fig. 2, into a position, as in Fig. 1, to be extended upward.

D D represent braces, that at one end are pivoted-to the ladder-section b, at theliipper end or thereabout thereof, and at the other end are pivoted to the standardsE E, with which i the wagonis provided.- This connection serves to bring the closed ladderinto an upright position as the slide 0 is moved tothe center of the wagon.

standards E E. The shaft F is provided with a gearwheel, f, with which a pinion, f that is upon a shaft, F, (this last-named shaft is also journaled in the standards E E,) engages.

By turning the shaft F, the cords F F are wound upon the shaft F and the slidecarrying the ladder is drawn to the center of the and the other brace at the other side of the wagon-bed.

The ladder is now in position to be extended upward, which operation is efi'ected by the. following means: Cords H H lead from a shaft, f I, that is journaled in the standards G G, over pulleys 'h h, that are upon the "upper end of: the ladder-section b, upon each side thereof, respectively, and thence over pulleys h kl, that are upon each side of the ladder-section: b at the lower end thereof. The cords thence pass over pulleys k h at the upperendof the ladder-section b, and thence to the :foot .of; the ladder --section b at h h respectively; J J represent pinions journaled in thestand-i ards G G, and that engage with gear-wheels; z '5 upon the shaft I. By turning the pinions J J,,(by means of the cranks j j,) the cords} H H are wound upon the shaft Land the va l rious sections of the ladder are thereby successively extended upon each other. The up-, per ladder-section b is arranged to be ex-i tended by band upon the section b and be held at any point bymeans of .the pivoted braces b b, which. are made so as to be turned? down the rounds of the laddersection 11. andf thereby uphold the upper section b.

K K represent platforms attached, respect-3 ively, to the standards E E, and that can be: turned down upon the hinges Ic.k,.as in Figs. 1, 5, and when turned down made toserveto. support the persons operating the ladder; When not in use these platforms can be upturned against the standards E E,.andbe out: of the way.

As thus far described, the wagon'bed :has been regarded as a fixture upon the wagdndl I preferably, however, make the principal portion of it, including that portion that-supports the ladder when it is elevated and the stand-1 ards E E G G, in the form of a turn-table, 1 1,; that can be rotated horizontally upon the; wagon-frame, turning on the pivot l. Thei preferable means for effecting such rotation is as follows: The turn-table, on its under side, is furnished with a crown-gear, M. A.

shaft, N, journaled in the wagonframe at an, and having a crank, n, is provided with .aE pinion, 02?, that engages with the gear M. By? turnin g the shaft N the turn-table can be rotated, and thereby cause the ladder to be pointed in any desirable direction from the;

wagon. This last-named featureis especially valuable in connection with the provision for moving the foot of the ladder upon the ways 0 c, for, by being able to turn the ladder to any quarter and to set it at any inclination, the ladder can be readily used in all situations.

The turn-table can be made to extend the whole length of the wagon, if desired. A bolt, 1, serves to fasten the turn-table when not in use. I

O 0 represent braces for bracing the wagon laterally when the ladder is elevated, one of the braces being used at one side of the wagon wagon. They are similarly made, each consisting of one or more .arms,0 0, arranged to move in guides 0 0 transversely upon or be- :neath the wagon-bed, so that they can be drawnup upon or beneath the wagon-bed, as in .Fig. 3, or be :let down to the ground, as indicated in .Fig. 4. They; are fastenedin either position by the set-screwso 0. When let down they. serve .to very materially widen the support for the ladder.

The arms 0 0 are preferably. curved, as shown, :toenablethem .to be more readily operated. To extendtheirbearin g upon the ground, and to stiffen them, the arms are united at their .lower ends by the bars 0 0?.

:If desired, thefoot ofthe ladder can be made -to-restiand slide directly on the ways 0.0; but -I prefer to-iemployithe slide G, as shown.

I-claim- 1. The combination-of the turn-table L,

ways a c,ladder B, slide O,'standards E E, and braces D D, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the ladder B, slide 0, ways c.c,:braces D D, and standards E E,

* substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the ladder B,slide 0, ways 0 c, braces DiD, standards E E,cords F F, pulleys f f, standards GG, and shaft d3, substantially as described.

4. The turn-tableL, having the ways a c, in combination with the ladder B, substantiallyv as described.

5. The combination of the turntable L,.the ways .0 c,the ladder B, slide 0, standards E E,.and braces :D D, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the bed Al, ladder B, ways a 0,-slide0, turn-table .11, standards E EG G cords F F,ishaft F, braces D '1), cords .H .H, shaft .1, and pulleys f h h h ,.substantially as described.

.7. In combination with the wagon A,the

braces O 0, having .the arms 0 0. and barso .0 and arranged to move in the guides 0' 0!, and be fastened bythe screwso 0?,substan- .tially as described.

JOHN J. LUCAS.

'Witnesses:

'Lo 01s PQKRAFFT,

Jams F. KRAFFT,

THEO- J. KRAFFT. 

